No rest for the weary? I prefer no rest for the wicked. My timing was perfect for Lubbock with my services available to help Andrea et al tear down a porch and bust a concrete slab. Without the humidity my work capacity doubled and the use of a jackhammer was a first. I feel for Josh, having to live in this boring town but as least he's busy as a landscape laborer. Maybe next time we can get away to the mountains.
Two days of work followed by a 12 hour drive to Grand Junction CO. My dog Kahn stayed with Andrea and that was fine with him. If I wasn’t on such a tight schedule I would take time to enjoy the scenic drive on SH 50, up and over Monarch Pass to Montrose and then north to GJ. My specific destination was the residence of old college friends – Rob and Sue Graham. The agenda was hiking and everywhere is up. Rob was fresh off a 50 mile hiking weekend and was more than up to the task of hiking with me the next two days. He and a friend are on a quest to finish a route of several hundred miles one weekend at a time into the fall. I was fortunate to only hike 4 miles the first day and 7 miles the next in and around the Colorado National Monument. Monsoon rains raised the humidity to the annoyance level for Rob but this was nothing compared to the Gulf Coast. It must have been 40% - maybe. Nevertheless the hiking gave me Carte blanche to pig out at the local eateries. Rob and Sue are fitness trainers at Mesa State University. For me, Rob took the days off to play. In the next page of my life I’ll be free of the grip of Dungpileton and days like these will be the rule.
Upon my return to Lubbock I join the crew - Matt, Ron (Andrea's bother-in-law and technical adviser, and Josh - to continue work on the porch. By this time the broken slab was removed and next was the roof framework. All day and a break to see Captain America at the movies. Another day of help then on the road home.
